School Bell: Four Homework Mini-Rescues

By now you have probably gotten at least one report card from the school.  How are your kids doing?  Is homework time independent or are they asking you the next question before you can get back to your chair after the last question? Do they get assignments done smoothly or is it a dragged out struggle that still doesn't get the work finished?  Now is a good time to check in with your child's teacher if homework is a problem. Now, before the Hannukah, Christmas, Winter Vacation etc. disrupt things completely.

1. Buy some small sticky notes and have your child start their reading assignment. Have them put a sticky note wherever they get confused. If it helps they can code the problem [ex: W=stuck on word, ? = idea is confusing].

2. Put a sticky note at the top of the assignment and write the time homework begins.  Add a sticky note wherever s/he stops and put the time. The teacher will understand the problem better if s/he knows how long it takes your child to do assigned work.

3. For worksheets circle the numbers of or put your initials by the questions that they needed help to do. They can even put a "? " beside answers they are not sure of, or that they guessed.

4. If writing is the problem, try being your child's "secretary" and have them dictate the answers. Put your initials beside it and write "secretary." [This is more for the child's sake... most teacher's can easily recognize a parent's writing vs the student's.]

Try these ideas on your own for a bit, then report the results to the teacher.    OR  
If things are really going downhill, discuss these with the teacher first so s/he will be watching results.